Sunday, June 22, 2008

Iran Shuts Down Newspaper Critical of Ahmadinejad

Sunday, June 22, 2008

TEHRAN, Iran — Authorities have shut down a Tehran newspaper ,the official IRNA news agency reported Sunday, after the paper published a story critical of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's stance on Israel.

The Press Supervisory Board, which is controlled by hard-liners, banned Tehran Today on Saturday after the paper's editor was summoned to court for publishing material deemed as insulting Ahmadinejad, IRNA said.

The news agency did not provide more details. But the announcement comes after the paper published a story Saturday that said Ahmadinejad's comments on Israel "seems to have led to a different result — more pressure on Iran and more support to Israel."

In 2005, Ahmadinejad said Israel should be wiped off the map. He also has called the Holocaust "a myth."

Media closures are not unusual in Iran. In March, nine cinema and lifestyle magazines were banned for publishing material about foreign celebrities. (Source)